Card Range To Study

117 Cards in this Set

A lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values

Attentive public

The sector of society that is interested in politics and understands how government works.

Voter registration

The requirement of citizens to register with their local board of elections before being qualified to vote

Australian ballot

A printed ballot that bears the names of all candidates and the texts of propositions and is distributed to the voter at the polls and marked in secret

Turnout

attendance for a particular event or purpose (as to vote in an election)

Party Identification

Party identification is a political term to describe a voter's underlying allegiance to a political party

Winner-takes-all

Candidate with most votes winsCandidate with most votes wins

Single-member district

Voters choose one representative or official

Proportional representation

Each party receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote

Electoral College

Used in electing the President and Vice President, in which voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for a party’s candidate.

Safe seat

An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other

Coattail effect

The boost candidates of the president’s party receive in an election because of the president’s popularity

Caucus

Meeting of local party members to elect public officials

National party convention

Meeting of delegates to nominate President and Vice President candidates, ratify the party platform, and elect officers and adopt rules

Interested money

Contribution by individuals in hopes of influencing an outcome

Soft money

Money that is contributed to a state or local government that does not have to be disclosed under federal law

Issue Advocacy

Commercial advertising advocating a position on an issue

Independent expenditure

Money spent by individuals not associated with a particular candidate, but set out to beat another candidate

Mass media

Communication process that makes its way to the public

News media

The part of mass media that focuses on the news itself

Issue ad

An advertisement that takes a particular side to an issue

Fairness doctrine

Doctrine that gave ad companies an obligation to accept all views on a particular situation

Political socialization

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs

Selective exposure

Individuals can choose what messages they can receive, and block the ones against their bias

Selective perception

Individuals can perceive whatever they want in media messages

Log Rolling

the exchanging of political favors to benefit political parties, and that one party will have an advantage over the others

Rider

an amendment or addition to a document or record

Pocket Veto

the indirect veto of a bill received by the President

Closed Rule

when no additional amendments or substitutes to the bill may be offered from the floor of the house

Open Rule

open rules allow amendments from the floor of the house

Party Caucus

a committee within a political party in charge of determining policy

Hold

when a senator puts aside a bill for a period of time

Senatorial Courtesy

when the U.S. Senate refuses to confirm a presidential appointment to office opposed by both senators from the state of the appointee

Delegate

a person authorized to act as representative for another

Trustee

One that holds legal title to property in order to manage it for a beneficiary

Seniority Rule

determines committee chairperson of the party based on who has been in the party the longest

Discharge Petition

means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without any word from a committee

Redistricting

is the process of drawing U.S. electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes

Reapportionment

redistribution of representation in a legislative body, usually when a term ends according to the constitution

Safe Seat

a parliamentary seat that is likely to be preserved with a large majority in an election

Gerrymandering

to divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections

Bicameralism

based on two legislative branches of government

Speaker

the presiding officer of the House of Representatives usually elected by the majority of the house

Majority Leader

The leader of the majority party in a legislature

Minority Leader

the leader of the minority party in legislature

President Pro Tempore

the senator who takes over if the vice president is absent

Filibuster

a tactical obstruction to delay legislative action

Cloture

when a debate is immediately ended and voted upon

Attentive Public

a group of people who follow a political issue very closely and pay close attention to

Standing Committee

exists to examine bills with close detail so they can consider them more acceptable

Override

legislative vote to cancel presidential veto of legislative act

Joint Committee

set up in order to coordinate activities, avoid duplicating work, or to discuss matters of common interest

Select Committee

committees which analyze the executive on issues broader than legislation

Conference Committee

agree upon a single bill that both houses agree on word for word

Divided Government

When different parties control the House and Senate, or when the majority in Congress is not from the President's party

Executive Office of the President

A group of federal agencies supervised by people that work directly with the president

Management and Budget

Provides recommendations to the President, regarding budget and prepares for review of the Congress

Cabinet

A body of high ranking members of government, representing the executive branch

Executive Privilege

The President can withhold information from Congress or the courts

Executive Order

A presidential policy directive that implements or interprets a federal statute, a constitutional provision, or a treaty

Veto

the power or right vested in one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the decisions

Pocket Veto

The indirect veto of a bill received by the President within ten days of the adjournment of Congress, effected by retaining the bill unsigned until Congress adjourns

Item Veto

The power of a state governor to veto items in bills without vetoing the entire measure

Judicial Review

The power to interpret the Constitution authoritatively

Adversary System

A judicial system where a court of law is a neutral arena where two parties argue their differences

Justiciable Dispute

dispute that comes about from a case or controversy that is capable of settlement by legal methods

Class Action Suit

Lawsuit brought by an individual or a group of people on behalf of all those similarly situated

Political Question

A dispute that requires many things related to the court system, and the judges refuse to answer constitutional questions that they declare are political.

Stare Decisis

The rule of precedent, where a rule or law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented.

Appellate Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to review appeals of the decisions made by lower courts

Original Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear a case in the first instance

Grand Jury

A jury of 12 to 23 persons who hear evidence presented by the government to determine whether persons shall be required to stand trial. If there is sufficient evidence, hey issue an indictment

Petit Jury

A jury of 6-12 persons that determines guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action

Magistrate Judge

An official who performs a variety of limited judicial duties

Court of Appeals

A court with appellate jurisdiction that hears appeals from the decisions of lower courts

Habeas Corpus

A court order requiring explanation to a judge why a prisoner is held in custody

Defendant

In criminal action, the person or party accused of an offense

Plea Bargain

Negotiations between a prosecutor and defendant aimed at getting the defendant to plead guilty for a lesser offense to avoid having to stand trial for a more serious offense

Public Defender System

Arrangement whereby public officials are hired to provide legal assistance to people accused of crimes who are unable to hire their own attorneys

Judicial Restraint

Judicial philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect what the framers intended and what its words literally say

Judicial Activism

Judicial philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the constitution to reflect current conditions and values

Writ of Certiorari

A formal writ used to bring before the Supreme Court

Amicus Curiae

“Friend of the court,” filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate party to the case

Opinion of the Court

An opinion explaining the decision of the Supreme Court or any other appellate court

Dissenting Opinion

An opinion disagreeing with the decision of the Court

Concurring Opinion

An opinion that agrees with the decision of the Court but differs on the reasoning

Bureaucrat

A career government employee

Bureaucracy

A professional corps of officials organized in a pyramidal hierarchy and functioning under impersonal, uniform rules and procedures

Spoils System

System of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends

Merit System

A system in which selection and employment is based on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage

Office of Personnel Management

Agency that administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations

Bureau

The largest subunit of a government department or agency

Government Corporation

A cross between a business corporation and a government agency, created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program.

Independent Agency

A government entity that is independent of the legislative, executive, and judicial branch

Independent Regulatory Board

An independent agency or commission with regulatory power whose independence is protected by Congress

Office of Management and Budget

President staff agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements

Hatch Act

Federal statute barring federal employment from active participation in certain kinds of politics and protecting them from being fired on partisan grounds

Iron Triangle

A mutual supporting relationship between interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and agencies that share a similar governmental policy concern

Writ of Habeas Corpus

A court order requiring explanation to a judge to why a prisoner is held in custody

Ex Post Facto Law

Retroactive criminal law that works to the disadvantage of an individual

Bill of Attainder

Legislative act inflicting punishment, including deprivation of property, without a trial, on named individuals or members of a specific group

Due Process Clause

Clause in the Fifth Amendment limiting the power of the national government, similar to the clause in the Fourteenth Amendment prohibiting state governments from depriving any person from life, liberty, or the property without due process of law

Selective Incorporation

The process by which provisions of the Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state and local governments

Establishment Clause

Clause in the First Amendment that states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. It has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to forbid governmental support of any or all religions

Free Exercise Clause

Clause in the first amendment that states that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Children may pray in public schools, provided that the prayer is not authorized, organized, or endorsed by the school authorities.

Bad Tendency Test

An early standard by which the constitutionality of laws regulating subversive expression were evaluated in light of the First Amendment's guarantee of Freedom of Speech

Clear and Present Danger

A doctrine adopted by the Supreme Court of the United States to determine under what circumstances limits can be placed on First Amendment freedoms of speech, press or assembly.

Preferred Position Doctrine

Freedom of expression is essential to democracy, and judges should give it special protection